VRML IN CANCER-RESEARCH LOCAL MOLECULAR-PROPERTIES OF THE P53 TUMOR-SUPPRESSOR PROTEIN-DNA INTERFACE

The three-dimensional structure information of the p53 core domain-DNA complex is presented. The Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML), a new concept of information transfer is used for this biochemical appl ication. VRML provides an object oriented method for the three-dimensi onal description of molecular models [1, 2]. This VRML-WWW pages conta in the 3D structure of the p53 core domain-DNA complex crystallized by Pavletich and coworkers [3], now available from the Brookhaven Protei n Databank, and the p53-DNA binding region with related biochemical in formation like hydrophilicity/lipophilicity and local electrostatic pa rtial charges. These investigations are done in a close cooperation wi th H. Bartsch and his group at the Division of Toxicology & Cancer Ris k Factor Prevention of the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg , Germany.